A promise that exceeds the hype …

Not long ago a patron of a cafe in Chicago summoned his waiter to his table and inquired of him, “I want to know the meaning of this. Look at this piece of beef. See its size? Last evening I was served with a portion more than twice the size of this!”

“Where did you sit?” asked the waiter.

“What has that to do with it? I believe I sat by the window.”

“In that case,” smiled the waiter, “the explanation is simple. We always serve customers by the window large portions. It’s a good advertisement for the place.”

You’ve probably been the victim of such “advertising” … seeing delectable delights pictured for a possible meal, only to be served up something that doesn’t look anything like — or nearly as delightful as — the advertisement itself.

Lots of promises are made — from the quality of meals in a restaurant, the reliability of a mechanic, the sure sleep a certain new bed will bring, or the “awesomeness” of this coming Sunday’s sermon — these and so many other promises are made that so often don’t live up to their hype. None of us like to be lied to or misled, but we’ve become used to it. It’s almost a surprise to us when we purchase something that delivers just as promised; it excites us when a product or service actually lives up to its hype!

It’s a rare thing when what we discover actually exceeds any advertising or promises made about it. Imagine, then, the promise of an eternity with God and how it will be more wonderful and wondrous than what we can possibly imagine. That’s hard to wrap our minds around, especially given the great advertising we have about our future beyond this life. To see a glimpse of what is promised, read Revelation chapter 21, then note these verses as well …

“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there — no need for lamps or sun — for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever,” Revelation 22:1-5.

This was part of the revelation the Apostle John received. This old, faithful follower of Christ had to wonder if anything so phenomenal could be true. So the angel revealing these things to him assured John that the promise of the future that God has for us is far greater than it’s staggering hype …

“Then the angel said to me, ‘Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon,'” Revelation 22:7.

If there is ever any promise you could be sure of, it is for God to deliver on what He has said, and the reality of God’s promises will be greater than you could have ever hoped!

Are you trusting God with your life now, and hereafter? Do you trust God to “deliver” on His promises?

Scotty